1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to a nursing apparatus, and more particularly, to disposable nursers having flexible liners or bottles.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
The use of disposable liners, referred to in the industry as bottles, with or without separate bottle holders is well known in the industry. The major problem that most of the prior art has attempted to solve is the means by which the flexible bag is filled and then connected to a nipple ready for use.
Many disposable nursing systems attach the liner directly to a cap to which a nipple is attached. Such a system is very difficult to use, resulting in slippage of the liner causing spillage or contamination of the sterile surfaces of the liner. U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,481 issued to Adda Allen and U.S. Pat. No. 2,520,335 issued to Thomas Piazze disclose such a system.
Many disposable nursers use a bottle holder to provide support and protection for the flexible bottle. The flexible bottle is inserted within the bottle holder with the flexible bottle's open end extending beyond the upper edge of the holder, and it is then folded outward and down along the bottle holder's exterior surface. The liner must be held in place with one hand while it is being filled and capped with the other, which frequently results in slippage of the liner causing spillage or contamination of the sterile surfaces of the disposable nurser. Frequently this type of system uses a cap which is screwed to the top of the bottle holder, causing the flexible bottle to pass between the threads of the cap and the bottle holder. This often results in leakage from torn liners or an inadequate seal between the cap and the flexible bottle. In such a system, it is also difficult to add additional fluid to the bottle after it has been sealed the first time. U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,555 issued to Ricardo Soto discloses such an apparatus.
Some nursing systems do away with the threads and use a snap-on cap, or nipple, which reduces the problem caused by the threads but provides a system that is far less secure from accidental removal of the cap or nipple than a system using screw threads. Such prior art is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,790,017 issued to William Fitzpatrick, et al., and to Thomas Piazze, U.S. Pat. No. 2,643,448.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,311 issued to Frank Boston discloses a rubber band placed over the bottle holder which keeps the liner in place during filling and handling; however, the flexible bottle still passes between the screw threads which fasten the nipple to the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,593,871 issued to Larry Bundy discloses a nipple which has been directly sealed to a bag, with both the nipple and the bag being disposable. The bag is filled through a separate filler tube. This solves the problems discussed above but provides a very inconvenient means for filling the bottle and a more expensive system.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,599,630 issued to Emma Hair discloses a hard disposable container which may be held on a ring during the filling process, if the container is rigid enough. If the typical flexible bottle is used, it would be necessary to pass the open end of the bottle over the upper lip of this ring. This then places the liner between the threads of the ring and the nipple holding cap with all the same problems of slippage, tearing of the liner, and leakage, discussed above.
It remains clear that there is a need for a disposable nursing system which will hold the flexible bottle firmly during the filling process, would permit heating in a microwave, and provide a tight seal and secure connection between the nipple and the flexible bottle.